amadeus00
Guest
I've seen people take Sudafed a few hours before a dive. What does this do? Does it aid ear clearing? Is there any harm in that? Would taking Claritin achieve the same results?
Sudafed Before a Dive?
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MSilvia
Contributor
I've only heard of people taking it to alleviate cold symptoms when they aren't willing to call off the dive.
Of course, that isn't a good idea, because if it wears off while you're down, it'll be difficult to equalize on the ascent.
Of course, that isn't a good idea, because if it wears off while you're down, it'll be difficult to equalize on the ascent.
ShakaZulu
Contributor
If you have sinus problems it helps clears up the snot.............
Scuba-Bill
Contributor
amadeus00:
The link below has some articles from 2000 that talk about pseudoephedrine and other drugs in relation to diving. Hope it helps. Link-> http://listserv.brown.edu/archives/cgi-bin/wa?A1=ind0009a&L=scuba-l#1
ShakaZulu
Contributor
motion-sickness drug dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), this is good to know, I had no idea, thank god I don't get sea-sick.
As a cronic allergy suffer, I take claridin daily, diving or not. On dive days, about 2 hours before a dive (to give it a chance to drain) I use Affrin 12 hour to help ensure I am well drained. Keeping well hydrated helps as well as it keeps the nasal stuff thin and more able to drain.
Sudafed can help keep the head clear too, but there are potential side effects. Sudafed is a vassal constrictor and in some people (me) it can cause the circulation in the hands and feet to shut down in a cool tempratures like diving. This usally occures in people who have or are suseptable to a condition called Raynodes (sp?) syndrome.
As always consult your diving knowledgable physician regarding this situation.
Not a doctor, pharmasist, or other person who even has a clue of what they are talking about. The above is just MHO.
Sudafed can help keep the head clear too, but there are potential side effects. Sudafed is a vassal constrictor and in some people (me) it can cause the circulation in the hands and feet to shut down in a cool tempratures like diving. This usally occures in people who have or are suseptable to a condition called Raynodes (sp?) syndrome.
As always consult your diving knowledgable physician regarding this situation.
Not a doctor, pharmasist, or other person who even has a clue of what they are talking about. The above is just MHO.
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pasley:
I've never tried Affrin yet. I use Sudafed 12 hour. I get sinus squeeze every now and then.
Also, I've heard reports that say that Sudafed increase the chances of getting Ox Tox when diving nitrox.
Duane
SueMermaid
Guest
Sort of off-topic: I take Claritin to avoid airsickness when I fly with Joe in little planes. It works extremely for me for that. And if it works for me, there must be something to that.
I am planning to try it on my next boat dive. It's hard to experiment with drugs, cause if they fail, life is just not worth living till the boat gets back to the dock, but Claritin has such a marked effect on me while flying, I have to try it.
I am planning to try it on my next boat dive. It's hard to experiment with drugs, cause if they fail, life is just not worth living till the boat gets back to the dock, but Claritin has such a marked effect on me while flying, I have to try it.
I used to suffer a lot with head colds and used to (stupidly) take sudafed like candy on the way to the dive site, before going in the water, during surface intervals and then whilst driving home. I used to wonder why I was always falling asleep (thankfully I wasn't the driver) until I actually read the packet and found that they cause tiredness.
Now I appreciate that not everyone is as stupid as i was then and that the vast majority of people have the sense to read medicine warnings but given that it warns people of the risk of operating machinery (due to it bringing on tiredness with norm doses) should we as divers really be using it when diving even in moderate doses?
Now I appreciate that not everyone is as stupid as i was then and that the vast majority of people have the sense to read medicine warnings but given that it warns people of the risk of operating machinery (due to it bringing on tiredness with norm doses) should we as divers really be using it when diving even in moderate doses?
mikkilj
Contributor
Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) is actually a stimulant, and should not cause drowsiness in most people, which is why most things containing it say "Non-Drowsy Formula."
Always read the box and note *all* of the active ingredients in over-the-counter cold/sinus/flu/cough preparations. Many are multi-ingredient. If it contains an antihistamine (such as diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine), these will definitely cause drowsiness or delayed reaction times. This is less likely with the new, non-sedating antihistamines (e.g. Claritin, Allegra, and to some extent Zyrtec). The newer antihistamines are also less potent (go figure!) and are better as preventative agents taken on an every day basis rather than as needed.
If you took something labeled "Sudafed Allergy/Sinus" it probably had both the decongestant (pseudoephedrine) and an antihistamine, thus resulting in the drowsiness.
I tend to recommend single-active-ingredient products for my patients, and advise them to combine them based on their specific symptoms, rather than trying to take care of something with a mega-pill that has three or more ingredients in it. If you have a runny nose, take an antihistamine. For stuffiness, use a decongestant. And so on
.
Since I'm new to scuba diving, I'm still learning about the effects of pharmacological agents at depth, so I can't help you there. But watch those OTCs!
Dr. Mikki Johle, PharmD
Always read the box and note *all* of the active ingredients in over-the-counter cold/sinus/flu/cough preparations. Many are multi-ingredient. If it contains an antihistamine (such as diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine), these will definitely cause drowsiness or delayed reaction times. This is less likely with the new, non-sedating antihistamines (e.g. Claritin, Allegra, and to some extent Zyrtec). The newer antihistamines are also less potent (go figure!) and are better as preventative agents taken on an every day basis rather than as needed.
If you took something labeled "Sudafed Allergy/Sinus" it probably had both the decongestant (pseudoephedrine) and an antihistamine, thus resulting in the drowsiness.
I tend to recommend single-active-ingredient products for my patients, and advise them to combine them based on their specific symptoms, rather than trying to take care of something with a mega-pill that has three or more ingredients in it. If you have a runny nose, take an antihistamine. For stuffiness, use a decongestant. And so on
.Since I'm new to scuba diving, I'm still learning about the effects of pharmacological agents at depth, so I can't help you there. But watch those OTCs!
Dr. Mikki Johle, PharmD
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